Common Waxbill

Basic Description

The Common Waxbill is a tiny, sharp-looking songbird with a bold red mask, fine gray-and-black barring, a white throat, and a red patch down the middle of the belly. Adults have a large, bright red bill; immatures have black bills. This small finch is native to Africa and has been introduced to parts of South America, Europe, and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, including the Hawaiian Islands. Common Waxbills are unwary, social birds that often forage for seeds in large flocks on lawns and other grassy areas.